Release
The end of an era as Linux 7.5 purges the last 30-year-old Intel MMX optimizations from Pentium age
Tom's Hardware · By Mark Tyson ·
The Brief
- A patch expected to merge into mainline Linux 7.5 removes the last remaining Intel MMX-optimized code from the Linux kernel.
- Intel introduced MMX in the Pentium era, around 1997.
- The change is described as streamlining code by retiring ancient Pentium-era instructions.
Why it matters
Developers working on or relying on Linux kernel internals should note that MMX-specific optimized code is being dropped, so any dependency on it will no longer be present in Linux 7.5.
Who’s affected
- Linux kernel developers
- Users of Linux 7.5 on older Intel hardware
Linux developers are preparing to make Intel’s ancient MultiMedia eXtensions an irrelevance. Intel introduced MMX in the Pentium era, but a patch expected to merge into mainline Linux 7.5 will remove the last remaining optimized software from the open-source OS. Expected to be…
Timeline
Tom's Hardware reports that a patch expected to merge into mainline Linux 7.5 will remove the last MMX optimizations
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The end of an era as Linux 7.5 purges the last 30-year-old Intel MMX optimizations from Pentium age